Device for making post-holes



(No Mode L) J. W. BAILEY.

, DEVICE FOR MAKING POST HOLES. N0. 382,853.

Patented May 15, 1888.

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$1 WM; E a I Q QmLh wooca J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUS'IUS IV. BAILEY, OF MANSFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR MAKING PGST-HOLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,853, dated May 15,1888.

Application filed Sertember12,1887. Serial No. 249,484. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUsTUs WV. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hans field, in the county of Tioga and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in MakingPost-Holes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved device for making post holes; and itconsists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of niy.improveddevice, and Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same.

Referring to the said drawings by letter, A. designates a centralmetallic bar, the upper part of which is cylindrical to-serve as ahandle. The lower end of this central bar is slightly enlarged,and istapered at its extremity to a point, B. Just above the point B, I castupon the"central bar the wedge shaped or tapered body 0, which may beeither angular or circular in cross section. This cast body B is taperedat its upper end as well as at its lower.

In manufacturing my device I first provide a mold of the properconfiguration. The steel bar A is then inserted through the mold withits point B projecting therefrom, and melted iron then poured into themold, so as to be cast around the bar A and intimately connectedthereto. By this means I form a very simple bar for making post-holes ata slight cost. The bar is very strong and cannot be easily bent.

Heretofore it has been common to use steel bars for the purpose forwhich my device is employed; but the expense attendant upon making thesame the proper size for their successful operation was a very seriousobjection to their use. To overcome this objection castiron bars wereemployed; but they were soon bent outof shape. My device overcomes boththese objections and provides a tool by which post-holes can be readilyformed and in the proper shape to receive the post without the use ofany other tool, so that when the post is set in the post-hole it is atonce held firmly and snugly in place.

The manner of using my device will be readily understood. The bar isdriven vertically downward into the ground at the point where it isdesired to set the post, and afterbeing driven to the desired depth iswithdrawn, leaving a hole in which the post will fit snugly when driventhereinto. It will be understood, of course, that the bar is to be madeof a size and cross-sectional contour corresponding to the post to beset; and it will be observed that as the cast body is tapered at bothends the top of the post-hole will not be enlarged to such an extentthat the post will set loosely therein.

The lower portion of the cast body is tapered, so as to merge into thetaper of the point B and form a continuous unbroken surface therewith,thereby preventing the formation of obstructions to the passage of thebar into the ground.

The bar A is of steel, and has the three parts, which are as follows:the highest cylindrical part, a, which serves as a handle when using theutensil, the end a having its sides converging downward to a point, andthe intermediate part, a, somewhat larger in cross-section than thecylindrical part a, forming therewith the shoulders a and square incross-section. The said part forms with the end portion the shoulders abeing of cast metal and founded on the steel shaft, contracts thereonwhen cooling, and the upper and lower shoulders, a a, respectively, byengaging the upper and lower ends of the casting, keep it fixed inposition and as firm as if it were integral on the steel stem. Thus aplunger is formed consisting of the integral stem of steel, and havingthe point formed upon it, and a castportiomO, surrounding the part a ofsaid stem and held thereto by the shoulders a a. This plunger is assolid as if all parts were integral, but can be made much more quicklyand easily and at much less cost than if made entirely of steel or ifthe parts were made integrally.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

The hereindescribed device for making post-holes, consisting of thesteel bar A, having the cylindrical part a, the point a", and the part abetween said point and the cylin- The part 0,

drical part, which part a is larger in diam- In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as eter than the cylindrical part a and is rectmy own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in to angular in cross-section, and thecast-iron porpresence of two witnesses.

t10n O, which has its sides aligned wlth the JUSTUS BAILEY point B ofthe stem A, and is held on said stem by its contraction from a moltenstate WVitnesses: upon the shoulders a a of the stem A, sub- MART KING,

stantially as specified. HENRY ALLEN.

